A blues-rock and soul singer-songwriter born and raised in Kinnelon (b. July 29, 1983) and a 2001 Kinnelon High School graduate. She reached 6th place on Season 11 of American Idol (2012), earning repeated praise from the judges for her raspy, bluesy voice, and has since released two independent albums (In This Life, 2014; This Is Love, 2019).
A multi-instrumentalist and vocal coach, she has spoken warmly in local interviews about growing up in Kinnelon — describing a creative kid who found a safe place in music while hiking the trails and lakes around the reservoir.
Quick facts
- Hometown
- Kinnelon, NJ
- Education
- Kinnelon High School ’01; Coastal Carolina University, B.M. in music, 2005
- American Idol
- Season 11 — 6th place (eliminated April 26, 2012)
- Sound
- Rock, blues, soul, jazz, funk
- Instruments
- Voice, piano, guitar, drums, tambourine, cello
- Label
- Red Tambo Records (her own)
- Based
- Currently performing regularly in Charleston, SC
American Idol, Season 11
On Season 11 (2012) she advanced to 6th place, building a run of soul, rock, and blues covers. Round by round:
| Round | Song | Original artist | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audition | “Get It While You Can” | Janis Joplin | Advanced |
| Top 25 | “One and Only” | Adele | Advanced |
| Top 13 | “I’m Your Baby Tonight” | Whitney Houston | Saved |
| Top 11 | “Let’s Stay Together” | Al Green | Bottom 3, safe |
| Top 10 | “Vienna” | Billy Joel | Safe (standing ovation) |
| Top 9 | “Whole Lotta Love”Signature moment | Led Zeppelin | Safe (standing ovation) |
| Top 8 | “I Want to Know What Love Is” | Foreigner | Safe |
| Top 7 | “No One” | Alicia Keys | Safe |
| Top 6 | “I Want It All / Bold as Love” | Queen / Jimi Hendrix | Eliminated (6th) |
“If I needed a singer, I’d hire her in a second.”
The judges praised her voice and stage presence throughout the season — “America, Elise is back!” (Judge Randy Jackson). After the show she sang a duet with Colton Dixon on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (April 27, 2012), and appeared on Live! with Kelly, Access Hollywood, Today, Anderson, and Ellen.
The music
In This Life
February 2014Debut album on her own Red Tambo Records — self-produced, recorded mostly in Charleston. Lead single “I Will Not Break” charted on the iTunes singer-songwriter chart.
This Is Love
2019Second album on Red Tambo Records, produced by Jesse Fischer.
Players
Singles
- “I Will Not Break”2013
- “Help Me”2015
- “Time”2015
- “Now”2015
- “Mama, I Love You” — Co-written with Kristi Jacques2022
- “Let Me Be Me”2024
- “On & On”2025
- “Yosemite’s Hathi”2025
Most-played
Collaborations & stages
Opened for / shared stages with
Performed with
Guest features
Charleston bands
Festivals & venues
Opened-for / shared-stages and guest features per her own bio and streaming credits.
Listen, watch & follow
In the press
Further coverage, beyond the cited sources below.
- NorthJersey.com — “Kinnelon grad singing her way to the top” (2012)
- The Hollywood Reporter — First post-Idol single debuts on iTunes (2012)
- Reuters — “Not my time to go” (2012)
- The Post and Courier (Charleston) — Multiple features
- Charleston City Paper — The Freeloaders / City Paper Music Awards
- Mount Pleasant Magazine — Profile (2012)
- Coastal Carolina University — Alumni feature
- Charleston Pour House — Current “Psychedelic Soul Party” residency
Sources & confidence
Confidence: Documented. Every published entry clears our documented-or-omit standard.
- Wikipedia, Elise Testone
- Charleston Magazine, "Elise Testone Takes Flight"
- Tri-Boro Patch (2012–2013)
See something to add or correct? Tell us and we'll review it. Every name is reviewed and sourced before it's added.